COLUMN:

A Sure Bet for a
Great Vacation

by Cheryl Chee Tsutsumi

All that glitters in Las Vegas may not be gold, but there’s no question few places in the world can match this desert oasis for unabashed extravagance and indulgence.

In Vegas you can enjoy a champagne and caviar facial ($130, Spa & Salon Monte Carlo, Monte Carlo); savor a Kobe beef burger topped with foie gras and shaved truffles ($60, Burger Bar, Mandalay Place); sip Chivas Regal 50-Year Salute from one of only 255 bottles produced to celebrate Queen Elizabeth II’s 50th Jubilee in 2003 ($1,050 per shot at Prime, Bellagio); and hunker down in suites furnished with amenities such as full-size bowling lanes, hardwood dance floors and rotating beds (up to $40,000 per night, The Palms).

Don’t have the bankroll of Bill Gates, you say? Not to worry. Vegas also is a wonderful choice for vacationers on a budget.

So claims Anthony Curtis, one of the world’s foremost gambling authorities, publisher of the 12-page monthly newsletter Las Vegas Advisor (LVA) and president of LasVegasAdvisor.com a comprehensive Web site that’s chock-full of information on Sin City, including current news; gambling tips; details about weather, transportation, conventions and special events; and candid reviews of hotels, casinos, shows, dining, spas, activities, nightspots and promotions.

There’s no question Curtis is the consummate Las Vegas advisor. He has dished up Vegas scoops on “Dateline,” “48 Hours,” A&E, E! Entertainment, Discovery, The Travel Channel, The Food Channel and The Learning Channel. He’s the author of Bargain City: Booking, Betting and Beating the New Las Vegas and The Art of Gambling Through The Ages. And he heads Huntington Press, a publishing house that specializes in gambling- and casino-related books, games, videos, software and other merchandise.

To get the most out of your Vegas getaway, Curtis recommends that you first shop around. Pick up the phone, check newspaper ads, review Web sites, consult your travel agent, and ask friends and family members about deals. “The harder you work, the better you usually do — and that also goes for Vegas vacationers looking for value,” he says.

The slowest times of the year in Vegas are November and December, especially the second week of December through Christmas. “Expect hotels and casinos to discount like mad during this period,” asserts Curtis. The next slowest times are June and July. Throughout the year, Tuesdays through Thursdays (when no big conventions are in town) are always cheaper than weekends.

Travelaxe, which can be accessed free from LasVegasAdvisor.com, is a terrific online tool for researching hotel prices. Input your trip information and this powerful search engine will scan 18 different travel and hotel Web sites for current rates.

“It presents an easy-to-read side-by-side comparison that highlights the cheapest price for each property and calculates the potential savings,” notes Curtis. “Even better, Travelaxe allows you to customize the results based on price, brand or class (i.e., budget, mid-range, luxury).” When you’ve made a decision, simply click a button and Travelaxe will take you to the reservations page.

Don’t discard the handouts that hawkers distribute on the street; they may contain worthwhile dining, show, activity and gambling coupons. “Take the time to go through them,” Curtis advises. “You’ll come across some really great opportunities to save.”

Street kiosks offer half-price show tickets, but there are some disadvantages. For example, availability changes daily and you can only buy them on the day of the show. Also, Curtis points out, “There are lots of selections, but not the top-of-the-line shows. And there’s a service charge of $4 per ticket.”

Look for the Question of the Day link on LasVegasAdvisor.com. There’s no charge to access it, and material runs the gamut in subject matter — from where you can find the cheapest buffets to who’s running specials for seniors.

Ellis Island’s $4.95 steak dinner is one of Vegas’ best deals.

“We have more than a year’s worth of Questions of the Day — nearly 400 — archived on LasVegasAdvisor.com,” says Curtis. “For $5, you can buy a five-day LVA membership and gain access to the complete archive of questions.”

Each month LVA staffers share what they believe to be Vegas’ Top Ten Values. Ranked number one in July was the $23-per-night room rate at Ellis Island. The hotel also snared second place for its complete steak dinner, which, until July, had topped every list for the past five years. Consisting of a 10-ounce filet-cut sirloin, salad, green beans, potato and rolls, it’s served round the clock for just $4.95.

Curtis sums up the allure of Vegas succinctly: “The deals are here if you want to be frugal and the sky’s the limit if you don’t.”

back to top

© Copyright Generations Hawaii. Designed by Trade Publishing